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Abstract Organic compounds stored in sedimentary archives, such as peat bogs, can provide information on numerous processes related to paleoenvironmental changes. The application of multi-proxy methods permits to overcome the limits imposed by reduced sample size, although complex matrices need particular attention to some analytical aspects. Here, we developed and validated a method for the simultaneous determination of 27 n-alkanes, 18 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and 6 sterols in peat by optimizing the extraction and cleanup procedures. The method was evaluated in terms of accuracy, recovery, detection limits and according to green chemistry assessments. In the view of future application in high-resolution multi-proxy geochemical paleoenvironmental studies, it was applied to a test batch of eight samples from the Coltrondo ombrotrophic peatland, located in northern Italy. The multi-proxy approach allowed extracting less than 1 g of dry sample. The stability of proxies over time was assessed by analyzing samples in a wide time and depth range. Results were in agreement with existing historical records and represent the first peat biomarker data for the area.

Abstract Recycling and recovering valuable resources from wastewater treatment plants is an important aspect in circular economy. The safe use of sludge and sludge-related products deriving from wastewater treatment strictly depends on their chemical contamination, especially by emerging pollutants. In this work, an analytical method was developed for the determination of a range of selected compounds, included in a recent European watch-list (macrolides, fluoroquinolones, neonicotinoids, carbamates and estrogens), in recovery materials from innovative pilot systems. Both the instrumental analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and the pre-treatment strategy (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe technique) were optimized for the purpose. The final method performance were evaluated, revealing determination coefficients (R2) of 0.993–0.9999 for the matrix-matched calibration curves, good accuracy (recovery 68–104% and matrix effect 70–123%), satisfactory precision (relative standard deviation The application of the described method is an essential part of a broader investigation on the suitability and safety of innovative materials coming from waste water treatment plants, in the view of a risk assessment related to their usage.

Lignocellulosic agro-food wastes are regarded as interesting carbohydrate sources for acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation. However, the physicochemical and enzymatic pretreatments applied to release their sugars generate inhibitory compounds that hinder the fermentation. The release of inhibitory compounds in the hydrolysates of four agro-food industrial wastes [apple pomace (AP), potato peel (PP), brewers' spent grain (BSG) and coffee silverskin (CS)] obtained after various chemical pretreatments (acid, alkali, organic solvents and surfactant pretreatments) was analyzed. Sixty-seven potential inhibitors were identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and were classified into non-aromatic compounds (aliphatic acids, nitrogen-containing compounds, furans and fatty acids) and aromatic compounds (phenolics and non-phenolics). Then, a high performance liquid chromatography method with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) was developed and validated for the quantification of the main potential inhibitors identified in the hydrolysates (i.e. gallic, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic, 2,5-dihydroxibenzoic, 4-hydroxybenzoic, 3-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, caffeic, syringic, p-coumaric, and ferulic acids, vanillin, syringaldehyde and caffeine). The proposed HPLC-DAD method was simple, fast and robust and allowed the direct injection of samples without previous treatment, enabling the simultaneous quantification of the abovementioned compounds for the first time. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of AP, PP, BSG and CS hydrolysates. H2020-LCE-2015 Waste2Fuels project (Sustainable production of next generation biofuels from waste streams - Waste2Fuels. GA - 654623) Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agronómicas (INIA) (DOC-INIA, grant number DOC 2013-010) Producción Científica